Farmland Preservation Wisconsin income tax credit program

The Farmland Preservation (FP) state income tax credit is for landowners whose entire farm is meeting the conservation standards set by the State of Wisconsin.  Many farms already meet most of the requirements.  Call us to determine what you need to do (Anne Miller 608-757-5582)

For the tax year claimed, claimants must meet the requirements for Wisconsin residency, gross farm revenue, Wisconsin conservation standards and the land must be in a Farmland Preservation district or subject to a Farmland Preservation agreement. 

Enrollment starts by applying to the Rock County Land Conservation Department. Upon successful enrollment, fees to Rock County Land Conservation are $15 + $0.50/acre per farm per year.

For claims on land in Rock County, most filers use Schedule FC-A with their Wisconsin income tax (consult your tax advisor if you have land in FP in another county).  Claimants must have a valid Certificate of Compliance issued by Rock County Land Conservation Department. Tax credits are applied against tax liability. There is no cap on credits. The gross farm revenue requirement (excluding rent) is at least $6,000 in the past year or $18,000 over the past three years.

Wisconsin conservation standards [pdf]. The goals of the standards are to keep soil and nutrients where they can be used by crops and out of streams, lakes, and groundwater. Call us to find to what applies to your farm operation.  Technical and financial assistance are available for many practices.  Briefly, the standards cover:

• Soil erosion - reduce gullies, sheet, and rill erosion.  
• Nutrient management plan best crop use of manure and fertilizers.  Basics (2-pg brochure) and more information (DATCP website) .
• Manure storage - new, altered, or abandoned facilities and stacking areas. 
• Manure management - when, where, and how much to apply for best crop use and reduce impact on environment.  

NOTE:  New credit rates effective after December 31, 2022.  Claimants must be enrolled and in conservation compliance for the year claimed.

• $10.00/acre for land zoned for farmland preservation.  The certified zoning allows landowners to participate through no-contract annual renewal and not have to sign a separate agreement.
• $12.50/acre for land zoned for farmland preservation AND in an Agricultural Enterprise Area AND the landowner has a farmland preservation agreement signed after July 1, 2009.
• $10.00/acre for agreement only signed after July 1, 2009 and located in an Agricultural Enterprise Area with no FP zoning.  (Note: there are no pre-2009 agreements in Rock County.)
• Certain permanent easements that preserve working agricultural land may now be eligible for the Wisconsin Farmland Preservation income tax credit.  Contact Rock County Land Conservation Department.  

Credit rates up to December 31, 2022 are:

• $7.50/acre for land zoned for farmland preservation. (In these areas, the certified zoning allows landowners to participate and not have to sign a separate agreement).
• $10.00/acre for land zoned for farmland preservation AND in an Agricultural Enterprise Area AND the landowner has a farmland preservation agreement signed after July 1, 2009.
• $5.00/acre for agreement only signed after July 1, 2009 and located in an Agricultural Enterprise Area with no FP zoning.  (Note: there are no pre-2009 agreements in Rock County.)

The purpose of the PACE Program is to protect and preserve productive agricultural lands in the unincorporated areas of the County through the acquisition of an agricultural conservation easement. Willing, eligible agricultural landowners retain ownership and private use, but the potential future use of their land is limited to the terms of the perpetual easement and may not be developed or subdivided. The compensation for the easement value comes through a combination of allocated federal and county funds and a tax-deductible donation by the landowner. There is also an option for a landowner to permanently protect their property by agreeing to the perpetual easement terms and donating 100% of the easement value.

The eligibility criteria, application standards and selection process were designed by a diverse committee representing many interests in the county to promote and encourage a strong agricultural economy, intergovernmental cooperation, and a regional land use plan throughout the County.

Fact Sheets

Program Manual

Application Period: Year-Round, Closing July 31st Annually

Please contact Andrew Baker at 608-289-1356 or andrew.baker@co.rock.wi.us  for more information.

Additional Information

A majority of the funding for the PACE program is obtained through a cooperative agreement with the USDA.  Therefore, a local application for PACE must also meet federal program requirements.

Natural Resources Conservation Service - Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)

For further information on the Rock County PACE Program, please contact Andrew Baker, County Conservationist, at 608-289-1356 or andrew.baker@co.rock.wi.us .

The Wisconsin CREP program allows landowners to enroll cropland or pastureland that is immediately adjacent to rivers, streams or farm drainage ditches into 15-year contracts or permanent easements. Eligible landowners receive State and Federal incentive payments and cost share payments to install grass filter strips, wooden buffer strips, wetland restorations, or grass waterways. More information may be obtained by contacting Ashley Roscoe 608-931-5135 or ashley.roscoe@co.rock.wi.us

Mission statement of Farmers on the Rock:

"Farmers on the Rock is a farmer-led, nonprofit organization focused on using innovative production strategies with a focus on sustainable production practices that improve water quality and environmental sustainability. Through education, collaboration, and demonstrations we will share ideas that offer increased efficiency and sustainable production practices. As farmers we aim to be good stewards of the land and preserve our resources to provide a productive landscape for future generations to utilize."

Farmers on the Rock is a separate entity from the county government. For more information on Farmers on the Rock and to learn more about their conservation cost-share incentive programs and upcoming events, please visit http://farmersontherock.com or email farmersontherock@gmail.com.

Nutrient management farmer training. To become certified to write your own nutrient management plans, farmers can attend a live online training put on by DATCP here, or complete an on-demand, self-paced course. 

To sign up and complete the self-paced course: 

Do you have a UW-Madison Net ID? If yes, access the course here: https://canvas.wisc.edu/courses/430912.

If no, please click here to fill out a survey to request a UW-Madison Net ID: https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bOb5GeLbQej7qKO.

Once you have a UW-Madison Net ID, you can use the link above to access the course.

Plan-Writing Open Lab Days. Please check back here for information on open lab days as it becomes available.

Farmers and plan writers, please submit Nutrient Management Plans to 590@co.rock.wi.us.

If you would like in-person assistance with writing your plan, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please contact Colleen Johnson at 608-757-5579 or colleen.johnson@co.rock.wi.us. 

Land and Water Resource Management Program

The Rock County Land and Water Resource Management Program is designed to reduce soil erosion, protect water quality, and conserve the natural resources as outlined in the Land and Water Resource Management Plan [pdf] prepared by the LCD. The program provides cost-share and technical assistance to landowners who install best management practices on their farm.

Landowners who are interested in obtaining cost share funds for conservation practices must contact Ashley Roscoe at 608-931-5135 or ashley.roscoe@co.rock.wi.us. Applications are ranked according to practice cost, priority areas, and environmental benefit. If approved, landowners can receive up to 70% cost sharing for a particular project.

Pollution of our groundwater is a concern for all of us. That's because everyone in Rock County gets their drinking water from groundwater, whether you live in one of the municipalities or have a private well. Groundwater can become contaminated through many activities.

One source of groundwater contamination that most of us overlook is unused or improperly abandoned wells. Estimates are that there are over 500 improperly sealed wells in Rock County. These wells are a direct connection to groundwater. Anything that gets into the old wells flows directly into your drinking water. That can range from small animals to chemicals flowing in runoff water.

Rock County has a well abandonment program that provides cost share funds to help defray the costs associated with closing. When a Cost Share agreement is approved, you must hire a well driller or a certified pump installer to abandon your well. Costs for proper sealing are often less than $500 before cost sharing. This is a small price to pay when compared with the cost of trying to purify contaminated water or drilling a new well. Remember, if there is an abandoned well on your property that becomes contaminated, your drinking water will probably be the first thing affected. Take care of the health of your family. For further information, please contact the land conservation office 608-757-5588.

Rock County annually participates in the Wisconsin Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claim Program. This program is funded through hunting license fees, and is designed to help prevent crop damage due to deer, geese, bear, and turkeys. The program will provide abatement assistance, including shooting permits, to reduce damage and will also pay some compensation for damage to crops.

The program tries to deter as much damage as possible and the key to doing this is to act early. Deer can be damaging alfalfa crops as soon as the crown appears from under the snow. This damage to the crown can result in long-term yield reductions. Damage to corn can occur when deer pull out seedlings or bite off tender silks. Goose damage usually occurs during molting when adult geese are unable to fly. Small grain and corn are their favorite foods during this time. Geese pull young plants out of the ground to eat. Most of the reported damage occurring in Rock County is due to geese. The program can help if you are having damage or even anticipate damage based on prior years. Again, the key is to act early. Program administration is contracted to the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, known as APHIS. They can be contacted at 1-800-433-0663.

DNR Website: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/damage

The Yahara WINS program focuses on the protection and preservation of soils and water quality in the Yahara River watershed. Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District is leading community partners including Rock County in innovative strategies of watershed adaptive management, targeting phosphorus reduction. Rock County offers incentive payments to willing and eligible agricultural landowners for the purpose of soil and water quality conservation. Phosphorus reducing practices include but are not limited to vegetative buffers, row crop to perennial cover,  wetland developments, and waterway installations. Most practices allow harvesting for hay crop.

Eligibility for the Yahara WINS program includes being located within the Yahara River watershed of Rock County, owning agricultural lands with a minimum of two years of farm history, providing updated soil tests, and meeting other site-specific phosphorus reduction criteria.

Please contact Paul King at (608) 289-0877 or paul.king@co.rock.wi.us for more information.